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Aye, it's always the abandoned paperwork and ephemera that gets me most in these places - valuable historical resources just left to rot.

There are several disused potteries on the same forum, and there are original product drawings, work-logs, moulds, etc... all just left to vandals and bacteria (arguably, they're indistinguishable but for that bacteria serves a purpose).

I knew the factory quite well and went there in the late 1980's when we worked together making glass for them for Boots.In fact I just escaped with my life when a giant wrench got stuck on an 8 head revolving blow and press machine.As it mved teh wrench all of 3 feet long was thrown off and came whistling over our heads to land two feet behind a group of us.No plastic helmets, in thoses day, not that they would have been on much protection."Wow! That was a close one!", said their MD Cubby Aschenbach, an American sent over to return the company to profit. He left soon afterwards.

Attached are two photos from my last but one visit to the Chance factory in Spon Lane, October 2007. One shows all the paperwork thrown out of the filing cabinets (which had scrap value). The paperwork, some dating back to the 1920s(!!!) was just fluttering about in the wind. There was easily the same again and the piles in the corners must have reached 2-foot (60cm) in height.

My final visit was to retrieve what paperwork I could, three days before final demolition of the office building. I came away with about 12 boxes full, and a load of original plans. These will be passed over to the Sandwell Archives when I've finished with them.

The second photo is taken from the old Fiesta building, with the 7-storey to the left (this is still standing). The office building (with 'GLASS' sign on the side) was where the paperwork was strewn about and was torn down three days later.

What a fabulous thing to have been able to do, David!How come you weren't on the new year's hons list? It's this sort of action that should be rewarded in this way - not gongs for those who already have them or croneyism!

Logged

Cheers, Sue (M)"The really smart people know enough to know that there's too much that they don't know for them to be arrogant about the little they do know." Prof. Ron Davis OMF

and personally I also think it's a tragedy (maybe too strong a word given it's not people's lives we're talking about, but you know what I mean) they tore down the building.Ok, I don't know the ins and outs of the status of the building at the time, but my heart bleeds when I see magnificent brick and Victorian buildings razed to the ground. Where I come from the mills were demolished, and you used to be able to see about 7 chimneys (old photos and stories from my Granma lol, not that I remember them) now there is only one.They are replaced by modern day materials high and low rise and do not have the same appeal. Yes less expensive to raze and knock up a prefabricated new one. But at what price our history and the beautiful buildings gone.m

I actually felt honoured to be in a position to do this, at that time. But I was more worried that so much information would be lost. It appeared at the time that the majority of the paperwork was of no importance to me, and I think I got all the useful records. As an example, there was a complete journal about consultations with the Russian government for building a new lighthouse, dated 1923 (from memory).

While we were walking around outside, I did dig up one chunk of glass, which was a complete (though damaged) glass battery box. But I suppose my reward will be finally publishing the third book (Chance Reflections), although this is a few years on.

M; fortunately the 7-story building (c.1860) still remains, however, I think the developers' plans to convert it into offices and/or flats will be thwarted as the ceilings are only about 7½-foot (2.3m) tall and I would be banging my knuckles every time I raised my arms! So I really have no idea what will ultimately happen to this building, but a total reconstruction from the inside (to 6-stories?) is probably the only solution. But then the windows would all be askew.

BTW, Chance actually "drew" sheets (Fourcault method) of glass up to the full internal height of the 7-storey building... makes my mind boggle.